The French Government is offering four million euros to help aspiring game developers turn their ideas into reality. In a statement, the Ministry of Culture said the money was aimed at helping French firms weather rough times in the global market for games.

"This is a sign from the government that they have realised there is a very strong potential for the games industry in France," said Frederic Diot, a games industry analyst based in Paris.

France has several games publishers which can compete with American giants like Electronic Arts and Activision. They include Ubi Soft, responsible for blockbusters like Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon.